1,2,4-triazol-3-one is useful as a raw material for production of nitro-1,2,4-triazol-3-one [(NTO) (C2H2N4O2)], a known explosive with high energy and low sensitivity. NTO is widely used in explosive formulations and gas generators for automobile inflatable airbag systems.
It would be beneficial to the defense industry and to the automobile airbag industry if there were methods for production of 1,2,4-triazol-3-one that provided commercially acceptable yield and product purity.